Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
  • B21D—WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS OR PROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
  • B21D28/00—Shaping by press-cutting; Perforating
  • B21D28/24—Perforating, i.e. punching holes
  • B21D28/36—Perforating, i.e. punching holes using rotatable work or tool holders
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T83/00—Cutting
  • Y10T83/465—Cutting motion of tool has component in direction of moving work
  • Y10T83/4766—Orbital motion of cutting blade
  • Y10T83/4783—Constantly oriented tool with arcuate cutting path
  • Y10T83/4786—Cutting couple type

Definitions

• the invention relates to a rotary forming apparatus, for forming strip sheet material while it is moving continuously along a forming line and to a method of rotary forming.
• the formations may take the form of indentations, or openings, or any other shapes which may be formed in such strip sheet material .
• piercing or forming dies can be placed on a flying die apparatus, and the strip material can move slowly through the flying die apparatus.
• the dies are first of all accelerated up to the speed of the moving material. And they are then closed on the material while the material is moving. The dies must then be opened again and returned to their starting position. This system again is relatively slow, since the flying die apparatus must move forwardly and backwardly along the axis of the moving sheet metal in a repetitive manner.
• two rotary die carriers are provided with a plurality of separate die supports each having dies mounted on the supports.
• this system required that each of the die supports be rotatable relative to the rotary carriers. Consequently, some form of guide means had to be provided to guide the rotary die supports so that they came into registration with one another, and just prior to closing on the metal and remained in registration until they had opened again.
• the system provided die support guides which guided the leading and the trailing edges of each die support by means of guide pins and end guide cams for guiding the pins so as to ensure such registration.
• the end guide cams were located at opposite ends of the die carriers.
• One guide cam guided the leading guide pins and the other guide cam guided the trailing guide pin, of each die support. This arrangement was therefore relatively complex to engineer and build.
• the die carriers themselves were rotatably mounted on bearings at each side of the carriers, and were suitably driven through gear means known in the art.
• the die supports were supported in generally semi-cylindrically shaped transverse grooves formed along the length of the die carriers, and it was found to be somewhat of a problem to both lubricate the semi-cylindrical grooves and at the same time keep them free of dirt and other contaminants.
• a still further problem associated with the earlier apparatus described is the problem of matching the rotary movement of the dies with the linear movement of the workpiece.
• the linear movement of the workpiece is constant and unchanging.
• the rotary movement of the die supports , and their dies causes their linear speed to go through a slight change from a point just before contact with the workpiece, and during contact, and to a point just after contact with the workpiece where the dies separate once more.
• the dies are clearly moving at the same linear speed as the sheet metal strip workpiece, and for that instant, in the same linear direction. However, just before the dies contact the workpiece, they are still moving angularly towards the workpiece. The linear speed of the two dies at this point is thus slightly less than the linear speed of the workpiece.
• the invention comprises a rotary forming apparatus having a pair of lower and upper die carrier units, each of which is rotatable whereby they may rotate together on opposite sides of a workpiece, and having a plurality of die supports swingably mounted on each of the die carriers, the die supports being adapted to swing to and fro relative to their die carriers, about axes which are spaced radially from the axis of their die carrier, and being adapted to support upper and lower dies, and each die support having die support guide roller pairs mounted together on a common axis side by side and located adjacent to the leading or trailing edge of the respective die support, and die guide grooves formed in a guide plate means alongside each end of said die carrier for receiving said pairs of die support guide rolls, said groove means being formed so as to define inner and outer guide surfaces, with one of said die guide rollers in each pair engaging one of said inner and outer surfaces and the other of said die guide rollers in that pair engaging the other of said inner and
• the invention further provides such a rotary forming apparatus in which the die supports are themselves rotatably mounted by external bearings at each end of each die support, the external bearings being formed in respective right and left hand portions of the die carrier, whereby the surfaces of the die supports are free of lubrication and contamination.
• the invention further provides such a rotary forming apparatus and wherein slug ejection means are provided for each die support and there being ejector operating means associated with said die carrier and engageable with said ejection means as said carrier rotates bringing each support into a lower downwardly facing position, whereby ejection of each slug causes the slug to fall away under the influence of gravity.
• the invention further provides such a rotary forming apparatus in which the matching of the rotary linear speeds of the upper and lower rotating die support guides with the constant linear speed of the workpiece is achieved through adjustments between the drive gear which drives one of the upper and lower die carriers and the carrier shaft of that carrier, so that a certain degree of slack is present between the drive gear and the carrier shaft.
• the drive gear of the driven carrier is coupled to the other carrier (ie either the upper or the lower carrier) by an idler gear, so that the relative rotational speeds of the two carriers remains constant.
• the slack or play permitted between the drive gear and the driven shaft of the driven carrier allows the rotational speeds of the upper and lower carriers to speed up, slow down, and speed up once more', slightly, thereby allowing the linear speeds of the upper and lower dies to adjust themselves momentarily to the linear speed of the sheet material.
• the invention also provides a method of rotary forming using the aforesaid apparatus.
• Figure 1 is a perspective illustration of a rotary forming apparatus in accordance with the invention
• Figure 2 is a section along the line 2 - 2 of Figure 1
• Figure 3 is a section along the line 3 - 3 of Figure 1
• Figure 4 is a section along the line 4 - 4 of Figure 3
• Figure 5 is an enlarged elevational view of the die guide rollers and the die support bearing
• Figure 6 is a section of the die guide rollers, and the guide grooves;
• Figure 7 is an enlarged view of the lower die carrier showing the slug ejector means;
• Figure 8 is a section along 8 - 8 of Figure 3 ;
• Figure 9 is a section along 9 - 9 of Figure 3 ;
• Figure 10 is a greatly enlarged section corresponding to Figure 6;
• Figure 11 is a schematic illustration of a side view of the drive train illustrating the play present between the drive gear and the driven shaft to allow for self adjustment of the linear speed of the dies to match the speed of the sheet material.
• the rotary forming apparatus 10 comprises a base 12, a lower die carrier 14 and an upper die carrier 16, having carrier shafts 17 and 18. Respective right and left hand plates 19 and 20 support the lower and upper die carriers, in a manner to be described below.
• a strip workpiece indicated as W is shown as passing between the lower and upper die carriers .
• the workpiece W is shown as being formed, by the dies carried in the lower and upper die carriers so as to produce a series of transverse spaced apart openings O. It will, of course, be understood that any type of formation can be made by the use of the invention whether it is an indentation or an opening or both, and the opening may be formed with flanges around the edge of the opening of lesser or greater depth in a manner to be described below.
• forming is deemed to include any such forming operation whether it is by way of mere indentation or blanking an opening or blanking and forming the edges of an opening.
• each of the lower and upper die carriers is provided with a plurality of, in this case, four, semi rotary lower and upper die supports 22 and 24.
• Each of the die supports is swingably mounted between bearings 26, 28, at opposite ends of each support, the bearings being received in bearing sleeves 30 and 32.
• the bearing sleeves 30 and 32 are received in respective end members 34 and 36, which are of generally four pointed star shape.
• main die carrier bearings 38 and 40 At the centres of each of the bearing supports, there are provided main die carrier bearings 38 and 40, receiving shafts 17, and 18, formed in end plates 19 and 20.
• a pair of lower and upper gears 42 and 44 are coupled to the die carrier shafts 17 and 18, and link the two die carriers for rotation in unison in opposite directions.
• One of the die carrier shafts for example the lower carrier shaft 17, is driven by its respective gear 42 through a drive gear train 50 by any suitable motor means (not shown) .
• the other gear i.e., the upper gear 44
• the idler gear is then an idler gear, coupling the upper and lower carriers together for rotation in unison, in opposite directions.
• the upper gear 44 could be the driven gear, in which case the lower gear 42 would be the idler.
• a spacer shaft 52 extends between the right and left hand end members 34 and 36, and the end members are bolted to the spacer shaft.
• the spacer shaft in Figure 2, appears in profile as cylindrical, but is in fact of generally rectangular shape in section, with extended portions 52A at each corner of the rectangle, to receive fastening bolts ( Figure 9) .
• each of the guide plates 54 and 56 is formed with respective lower and upper guide grooves 58, 60 and 62, 64 ( Figure 4) .
• the guide grooves will be seen to be of eccentric shape, in elevation, for reasons to be described below.
• Each of the lower and upper die supports 22 and 24 are provided with pairs of inner and outer die support guide rollers 66, 68, at each end.
• the guide rollers 66 and 68 are two separate substantially identical rollers, secured on a common axle 70, and mounted on mounting plates 72 bolted to the bearings 26, 28, of the respective die supports 22, 24.
• the guide rollers are adapted to be received in the respective guide grooves 58, 60, 62, 64 in the guide plates 54, 56 (Fig 4) .
• the guide rollers although being mounted in pairs on the common axle 70, comprise inner guide rollers 66 and outer guide rollers 68.
• each guide groove 58, 60, 62, 64 is formed with respective inner groove portions 74 and outer groove portions 76.
• Each of the groove portions has a width greater than the diameter of the rollers.
• the outer groove portion is offset radially with respect to the inner groove portion 74. Consequently, the inner guide roller rides on the one surface of the inner groove portion 74 and the outer guide roller 68 rides on the. opposite surface of the outer guide groove portion 76. In this way, when the die carriers are rotating, and carrying with them the four die supports, the respective pairs of guide rollers 66 and 68 on each of the die supports 22,24 will travel around the inner and outer guide groove portions 74 and 76 respectively.
• each of the die supports 22, 24 can be performed by respective pairs of inner and outer guide rollers 66,68 mounted on common axles at each end of the leading edge of the die supports 22, 24. It will, of course, be appreciated that by simply re- engineering the guide grooves, the guide rollers could be placed along the trailing edge of the die supports . In either case, substantially total and complete control is achieved over the angular orientation of each of the die supports around 360 degrees of its travel.
• Each of the die supports 22, 24 is formed with a die receiving recess 78 , and lower and upper die blocks are shown fitted in the recess, for the sake of clarity.
• the lower die 80 is a female die and the upper die 82 is a male die.
• the female die 80 defines upstanding walls 84, and the male die 82 defines recesses 86 to receive the walls 84.
• Die guide pins 88 are provided extending from the male die to be received in guide recesses in the female die in a manner well known in the art.
• a central slug S ( Figure 7) can be struck out by the male die 82 through the centre of the female die, and at the same time, the edges of the opening in the workpiece can be formed as flanges F, by the upstanding walls 84 of the female die 80.
• a pair of ejector pins 90 are mounted in female die 80, and are normally retracted downwardly into the centre of the female die 80,
• the ejector pins 90 are mounted on an ejector plate 92, having an ejector shaft 94 extending through its respective lower die carrier 22, and terminating in a cam roller 96.
• the lower die carrier spacer shaft 52 is formed with four semi cylindrical recesses 98 for receiving the cam rollers 96. At one end of the semi cylindrical recess, there is provided a cavity 100. Within the cavity 100 is scissors linkage 102 operated by a spring 104. As the lower die carrier rotates, each die support will swing relative to it's die carrier, due to the guidance of the guide rolls in the guide grooves. As the lower die support swings in one direction, the respective cam roller will roll over the respective scissors linkage which will flatten out compressing spring 104.
• the apparatus provides for compensation between the constant linear speed of the workpiece and the slight variations in linear speed of the dies and die supports, at positions just before and just after closing.
• this is achieved by means of introducing a slight degree of play between the driven gear 42 and the carrier shaft 17 on which it is mounted.
• the lower carrier shaft 17 is not keyed directly to its gear 42.
• a radial drive rod 110 is secured to the end of lower shaft 17 and extends radially to one side thereof.
• Gear 42 is formed with recess 112 which receives rod 110.
• a spring 114 is secured in a bore formed in gear 42 on one side of recess 112. Spring 114 engages rod 110, urging rod 110 towards the opposite side of the recess 112.
• the spring is sufficiently strong that during normal operation of the upper and lower carriers, i.e. when the dies are not engaging the workpiece, the rod is held against the one side of the recess.

Landscapes

• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Perforating, Stamping-Out Or Severing By Means Other Than Cutting (AREA)
• Bending Of Plates, Rods, And Pipes (AREA)
• Manufacture Of Motors, Generators (AREA)
• Golf Clubs (AREA)
• Press Drives And Press Lines (AREA)
• Moulds For Moulding Plastics Or The Like (AREA)
• Shaping Metal By Deep-Drawing, Or The Like (AREA)
• Making Paper Articles (AREA)
• Turning (AREA)
• Moulding By Coating Moulds (AREA)
• Shaping Of Tube Ends By Bending Or Straightening (AREA)
• Mounting, Exchange, And Manufacturing Of Dies (AREA)
• Rotary Presses (AREA)
• Centrifugal Separators (AREA)
• Punching Or Piercing (AREA)
• Blow-Moulding Or Thermoforming Of Plastics Or The Like (AREA)
• Threshing Machine Elements (AREA)
• Auxiliary Devices For And Details Of Packaging Control (AREA)

Priority Applications (13)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=4157947

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (19)

Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (3)

Citations (4)

• 1996
  • 1996-04-10 CA CA 2173776 patent/CA2173776A1/en not_active Abandoned
• 1997
  • 1997-04-10 US US09/155,933 patent/US6018973A/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1997-04-10 KR KR1019980708041A patent/KR20000005324A/ko not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1997-04-10 BR BR9708771A patent/BR9708771A/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1997-04-10 CZ CZ983253A patent/CZ325398A3/cs unknown
  • 1997-04-10 EA EA199800915A patent/EA000509B1/ru not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1997-04-10 CN CN97194028A patent/CN1075403C/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1997-04-10 EP EP97915232A patent/EP0892688B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1997-04-10 TR TR1998/02027T patent/TR199802027T2/xx unknown
  • 1997-04-10 AT AT97915232T patent/ATE189632T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1997-04-10 DE DE1997601282 patent/DE69701282T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1997-04-10 SK SK1411-98A patent/SK283220B6/sk unknown
  • 1997-04-10 ES ES97915232T patent/ES2145590T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1997-04-10 JP JP53570697A patent/JP2000507881A/ja not_active Ceased
  • 1997-04-10 UA UA98105331A patent/UA44841C2/uk unknown
  • 1997-04-10 PL PL97329284A patent/PL183441B1/pl not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1997-04-10 HU HU9903598A patent/HU220898B1/hu not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1997-04-10 WO PCT/CA1997/000241 patent/WO1997037787A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1997-04-10 AU AU22842/97A patent/AU711351B2/en not_active Ceased

Patent Citations (4)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events